I headed north toward Ciudad del Este and visited the Itaipu Dam.
The Itaipu Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The name "Itaipu" was taken from an isle that existed near the construction site. In the Guaraní language, Itaipu means "the sounding stone".
The dam is the largest operating hydroelectric facility in terms of annual energy generation, generating 94.7 TWh in 2008 and 91.6 TWh in 2009, while the annual energy generation of the Three Gorges Dam was 80.8 TWh in 2008 and 79.4 TWh in 2009. Though, the dam's 14,000 MW installed capacity is second to the Three Gorges Dam's 22,500 MW.
It is a binational undertaking run by Brazil and Paraguay at the Paraná River on the border section between the two countries, 15 km (9.3 mi) north of the Friendship Bridge. The project ranges from Foz do Iguaçu, in Brazil, and Ciudad del Este in Paraguay, in the south to Guaíra and Salto del Guairá in the north.
The installed generation capacity of the plant is 14 GW, with 20 generating units providing 700 MW each with a hydraulic design head of 118 m. In 2008 the plant generated a record 94.68 TWh, supplying 90% of the electricity consumed by Paraguay and 19% of that consumed by Brazil.
Of the twenty generator units currently installed, ten generate at 50 Hz for Paraguay and ten generate at 60 Hz for Brazil.
Two 600 kV HVDC lines, each approximately 800 km long, carry both Brazilian and Paraguayan energy to São Paulo where the terminal equipment converts the power to 60 Hz.
In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers elected the Itaipu Dam as one of the seven modern Wonders of the World. In 1995, the American magazine Popular Mechanics published the results.
When construction of the dam began, approximately 10,000 families living beside the Paraná River were displaced.
The world's largest waterfall by volume, the Guaíra Falls were drowned by the newly formed Itaipu reservoir. The Brazilian government liquidated the Guaíra Falls National Park, and dynamited the submerged rock face where the falls had been, facilitating safer navigation, but eliminating the possibility of restoring the falls in the future.
A few months before the reservoir was filled, 80 people died when an overcrowded bridge overlooking the falls collapsed, as tourists sought a last glimpse of the falls.
All of that can be summed up by saying... it's a pretty big dam!

From Ciudad del Este I planned to visit the famous Iguazu Falls. One can access the falls by Puerto Iguazu in Argentina or Foz de Iguacu in Brazil. I wanted to see the falls from both vantage points, so I planned my route.

There is a bridge called the Friendship Bridge that spans the Rio Parana between Ciudad del Este, Paraguay and Foz de Iguacu, Brazil. It is a highly trafficked bridge and I had heard that it somethings takes hours to cross the border with a vehicle. This proposition did not sound apealing.

A Paraguayan friend of mine had mentioned to me that there was a ferry that crosses the Rio Parana into Puerto Iguazu, Argentina from a small town, just south of Ciudad del Este, called Presidente Franco. Supposedly the route was lightly trafficked. It sounded more like my style.

So I plotted my route to travel south from Ciudad del Este to Presidente Franco. I would take the ferry to Puerto Iguazu, Argentina and see the falls in one day. Then I would travel from Puerto Iguazu, Argentina across a land bridge to Foz de Iguacu, Brazil and see the falls from the second vantage point.
I rode south for about 30 minutes to the town of Presidente Franco and found the ferry. I was the only non-local crossing the border so immigration and customs processing only took about two minutes.
It was a short crossing and only took about 10 minutes. It cost about US$10. To the left was Brazil. To the right was Argentina.
Behind me was Paraguay.
La Triple Frontera... The three frontiers all seen from this one vantage point.
The ferry approached the dock of Puerto Iguazu, Argentina and I rode off. Again, the immigration and customs processing was quick and easy.

More great reporting Troy.
I encountered Menonites in both Belize and in and around Copper Canyon in Mexico. I did not know they had colonies in Paraguay. Interesting indeed.
Like Paraguay, the Menonites in Belize transformed sub tropical jungle into fertile and profitable farmland.

I don't know Menonite history, if any, in the USA. I know the Mormons were driven out of the USA (including Mitt Romney's grandfather) and into Mexico. The Menonites are still in Mexico ... and so are the Mormons, far as I know. But kind of hidden and low key.

I only traveled straight through Paraguay. This in the 70's. Locals talked about the "German" colonies there. I saw little of anything other than the Aryan blond/blue eyed kids on the bus with me who got off at one of the "colonies". They spoke perfect German and Spanish.

Thanks for the report. The damn is an amazing thing! Had not been started when I was there ... but I did see Iquazu falls ... from a row boat, up to 50 ft. from the edge!!!
No safety rules back then.

From Puerto Iguazu it was a short ride to Iguazu Falls.
Iguazu Falls is considered one of the seven wonders of the natural world. So I thought that it was worth a visit.
I rode my moto to the entrance of the Parque Nacional Iguazu. Bought an admission ticket for 130 Pesos and walked in.
The Iguazu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of Brazilian State Paraná and Argentine Province Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu.
The park is a major tourist destination and had this little train to carry visitors to the upper falls.
The name "Iguazu" comes from the Guarani or Tupi words "y", meaning "water", and "ûasú ", meaning "big". Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In rage, the god sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall. The first European to find the falls was the Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541.
After debarking from the train, I walked along an elevated walkway.
Iguazu Falls is located where the Iguazu River tumbles over the edge of the Paraná Plateau, 23 kilometres (14 mi) upriver from the Iguazu's confluence with the Paraná River.
Numerous islands along the 2.7-kilometre-long (1.7 mi) edge divide the falls into numerous separate waterfalls and cataracts, varying between 60 to 82 metres (197 to 269 ft) high.
The number of these smaller waterfalls fluctuates from 150 to 300, depending on the water level.
About half of the river's flow falls into a long and narrow chasm called the Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo in Spanish or Garganta do Diabo in Portuguese).
The Devil's Throat is U-shaped, 82 meters high, 150 m wide, and 700 m long (269×490×2,300 ft). Mist rises between 30 and 150 metres (100 and 490 ft) from Iguazu's Devil's Throat.
The Iguazu Falls are arranged in a way that seems like a reverse letter "J".
The border between Brazil and Argentina runs through the Devil's Throat. On the left bank is the Brazilian territory, which has just over 20% of the jumps of these falls, and the right side jumps are Argentines, which make up almost 80% of the falls.
Iguazu is also often compared with Southern Africa's Victoria Falls which separates Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Iguazu is wider because it is split into about 275 discrete falls and large islands.
The only wider falls are extremely large rapid-like falls such as the Boyoma Falls.
Upon seeing Iguazu, the United States' First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly exclaimed "Poor Niagara!"(which, at 50 m or 165 feet, are a third shorter).
The Devil's Throat in Argentina has water pouring into it from three sides. At one point a person can stand and be surrounded by 260 degrees of waterfalls.
See video
Here's a short 1 minute video of the Devil's Throat.
I was not alone at the falls. Like I said, it is a major tourist attraction and there were some areas that were elbow to elbow in tourists.
I decided that I wanted a little more space, so I walked on.
Along the path I came across some butterflies drinking water puddles.
Place names have been given to many of the other smaller falls, such as San Martin Falls, Bossetti Falls and many others.
Water
Rainbow
Chasm
Flora
Fuana
Twin Sisters
Drinking it up.
Fall
After fall
After fall
This is little animal is a coati. It is a relative of the raccoon. They are a bit of a pest and will still items of food or clothing if left unattended.
This industrious group of coatis was working together. One coati climbed the tree and shook the palm. The fruit fell down and the others dined.
I spent the entire day walking around the trails of the park.
Iguazu Falls... one of the seven wonders of the natural world.

More great reporting Troy.
I encountered Menonites in both Belize and in and around Copper Canyon in Mexico. I did not know they had colonies in Paraguay. Interesting indeed.
Like Paraguay, the Menonites in Belize transformed sub tropical jungle into fertile and profitable farmland.

I don't know Menonite history, if any, in the USA. I know the Mormons were driven out of the USA (including Mitt Romney's grandfather) and into Mexico. The Menonites are still in Mexico ... and so are the Mormons, far as I know. But kind of hidden and low key.

I only traveled straight through Paraguay. This in the 70's. Locals talked about the "German" colonies there. I saw little of anything other than the Aryan blond/blue eyed kids on the bus with me who got off at one of the "colonies". They spoke perfect German and Spanish.

Thanks for the report. The damn is an amazing thing! Had not been started when I was there ... but I did see Iquazu falls ... from a row boat, up to 50 ft. from the edge!!!
No safety rules back then.

Keep up the good work!

Paraguay in the 70's must have been something. Some of the places I visited seemed like they were time warped from the 70's. I believe that there are still Mennonites in the northeast US. The ones that I met in Paraguay were reserved at first, but once I started talking with them they really opened up. As I shared about my trip they would ask me a million questions. Many of the people rarely leave the surrounding area all their life. They seemed to be good, hardworking, religious people.

From Puerto Iguazu, Argentina I traveled a short distance to Foz do Iguacu, Brazil.
There was an immigration and customs checkpoint that I passed through with no problems. I dropped my things off at a hostel and rode to the park on the Brazilian side.
I signed up for a tour of the park which included a ride in a tram and boat.
The guide took our group through a number of trails and pointed out unique characteristics of the flora and fauna.
But the real adventure began once we put on these life preservers.
We boarded a zodiac boat and headed down the Parana River.
It started out as a pretty calm ride down the river.
But we also passed through some rapids.
We were able to pass nearby the falls on the Argentinian side.
And passed by this complete rainbow.
And then we approached the falls up close and personal on the Brazilian side.See Video
Here is a short 1 minute video about riding the zodiac boat through Iguazu Falls. We actually passed under the falls 3 or 4 times.
After the tour I hopped on a bus to visit another part of the falls.
I got off the bus and started walking along a trail.
I could see the falls in the distance.
As I got closer I caught a better view.
And then from this vantage point I could see almost the entirety of the falls on the Argentinian side.
I walked some more and caught glimpses of various falls on the Brazilian side.
I liked this image with the mist rising off the falls.
A different vantage point allowed me to look down the river.
At this location I was practically standing on top of the falls.
Another day... another sunset... over Iguazu Falls.
Iguazu Falls... one of the seven wonders of the natural world.

I left Foz do Iguacu and headed east.
Along the way I stopped at a gas station to fill up with gas and rest. I could tell that a few other motorcyclists had stopped at this station due to the large number of motorcyclists stickers on the window. It's a common thing in Brazil at certain resting points for motorcyclists to leave a sticker of their club, journey or sponsor.
Realizing that the gas station was probably friendly to motorcyclists I decided to ask them if I could change my oil in their maintenance garage. The said that it would be okay and even offered me a drip pan made out of an old plastic container. I did a quick change of the oil... then back onto the road... east.

After a very long day of riding... probably 10 hours... I arrived into the town of Curitiba, Brazil.
While in Foz do Iguacu I met a fellow motorcyclist named Rodolfo. Rodolfo was in the process of starting a business and hostel for motorcyclists in Foz do Iguacu. His business is called The Biker's Help Desk. Stop by if you are in the neighborhood. Well, Rodolfo introduced me to his brother Roberto and they offered to let me stay at his brother's apartment in Curitiba. This is Roberto and his roommate Gaspar.
I took a tour of Curitiba. The city is a very modern and clean city. It looks as if it may have been master planned. The city has a nice system of mass transit, parks and commercial areas.
This is the botanical gardens.
The city center and cathedral.
I came across this production being filmed on a Red camera.
The city center historical district.

Church

Water fountain and sculpture

Blooming tree in the city center

Paiol Theatre

Parana Pine Tree

Arab memorial and museum

The Mercado Municipal was perhaps the best market that I visited in all my travels.

They had all sorts of goods.

Fresh fruits and vegetables.

Sauces

Dried goods

Seafood

Wine

They even had an organic section with fresh produce

And a very nice food court within the market.

I just stayed for a short time in Curitiba, because I was anxious to visit the Brazilian coast.

The Adventure Begins... The Novo Museu or Oscar Niemeyer Museum and Street Art

While in Curitiba, I visited the Oscar Niemeyer Museum. The museum focuses on the visual arts, architecture and design. It is also known as Museu do Olho or Museum of the Eye, due to the design of the building.

Oscar Niemeyer was a Brazilian architect who is considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Niemeyer was best known for his design of civic buildings for Brasília, a planned city which became Brazil's capital in 1960, as well as his collaboration with other architects on the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. His exploration of the aesthetic possibilities of reinforced concrete was highly influential on the architecture of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

After visiting the museum I must say that I was more impressed with the design of the exterior building that the collection of art.
I also took a walk around Curitiba and saw some pretty interesting street art.

The Adventure Begins... Ilha do Mel (Island of Honey)...beaches...beaches...

When I think of Brazil, I think of miles and miles of coast and beautiful beaches. I was ready for a little sun and fun. So, from Curitiba I headed due east to the coast. My destination was the Ilha do Mel (Island of Honey).
I rode about 120km to a small town on the coast called Ponta do Sul. In Ponta do Sul I found a pay-by-the-day garage and parked my moto. I think that it cost me about 15 Brazilian Reales. Then I walked down the street and caught a ferry. On Ilha do Mel... no vehicles are allowed.
The ferry ride was a short ride across a bay that lasted about 30 minutes.
There were basically three small towns on Ilha do Mel... Fortaleza, Brasilia and Encantadas. I landed in Encantadas.
When the road ended, the adventure began on foot.
No worries... all the roads on the island were actually sand trails.

Encantadas seemed to consist of a scattering of houses, a few small hotels and a few restaurants all interlinked by the sand trails.

A typical colorful house.

A typical restaurant.

A nice little hotel.
It was the middle of the week and there were not many tourists on the island. I think that I spotted maybe six. On my first day on Ilha do Mel I decided to take a walk to the other side of the island... I followed this sand trail.

It opened up to the ocean.

I walked a little further along some marsh and sand dunes.

I found a trail that passed over a hill and by a rock outcropping.
The trail led to a secluded beach.

On the far side of the secluded beach I found La Gruta das Encantadas (Cavern of Enchantment).
I walked on and found this picturesque cove.

The sun started to set in the west.

I headed back to town by a pathway through some grasslands.
Back in Encantadas, I enjoyed a dinner of shrimp, fries, carrots, beats, tomatoes, rice and feijao (beans).

The next day I decided to explore a little more of the island.

I headed down a different trail.

Crossed a few beaches and hills... came across this cross.
Passed by this shrine by the sea.

Sea urchins in a tide pool.

Mollusks clinging to the rocks.

Lichen on the rocks.

A mollusk shell in the tide.

A sand dollar in the tide.

A crab in the tide.

A sand sculpture of sorts.
Actually I came across this group of people combing the beach. I stopped and talked with them for a while. The man held a long tube with a suction pump. He would walk along the beach, then poke the tube into the sand and pull the suction pump. He would then release the pump and the contents would be released. Turns out they were combing the beach for some shell fish.
They were collecting these little camerao (shrimp).

In the middle of the island at one outcropping there was the Farol das Conchas (lighthouse)

I hiked up the hill to get a closer look.

The lighthouse was constructed in 1870.

From the lighthouse, I could look to the left and see the west side of the island.

I could look to the right and see the east side of the island.

I continued with my walk along the beach.
I came across a little village and this wooden fishing boat.

Sea gulls fishing in the marsh.

A young boy, his brother and a bicycle on the beach.
At the far north end of the island is a fort.

The Fortaleza Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres.

The fort was constructed in 1769

It contained a courtyard surrounded by thick walls.

The walls had cobblestone walkways

There were a number of antique canons positioned to protect the fort

The fort was surrounded by the tropical jungle.

There was even a jail within the fort.

And the front entrance to the fort had a pretty scenic view of the ocean.

Around the back of the fort there was another trail.
The trail led to a battery with more modern artillery weapons.

There were some stone trenches dug into the mountainside.

I walked within the labyrinth of trenches.

A pathway of a different kind.

From the battery, I could look down upon the fort.

As the day drew long, I headed back to Encantadas.
The next day I hung out in the town and watched some fishing vessels return to the port.

Soon enough, it was time for me to catch the ferry back to the mainland and leave Ilha do Mel.
Taking only pictures and leaving only footprints.

Okay, I'm going to try to finish up this tale of adventure within the next few days. Here it goes...
From Florianopolis I headed north to Sao Paulo. Not much scenery along the way. It was a two lane highway with lots of cars and big trucks. It was a long day of riding... I think maybe 9 or 10 hours. I arrived into the city just as it was turning dark. Luckily the hostel allowed me to pull my motorcycle into the lobby to park it. I checked into the hostel, ate some street food and went to sleep.
The next day, I left my moto at the hostel and set off on foot... and subway.
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere, and the world's eighth largest city by population.

The first place I visited was the Edificio Italia (Italian Building). It is a tall skyscraper that allows visitors to ascend in an elevator and look out the windows for a pretty magnificent panoramic view of the city.

As I arrived into the city, I could sense that the air quality was not the best. When I looked out over the city and saw all the smog I could understand why. But there were some interesting architecture.
I walked around a bit and passed through this railway station. The design of the station was classic. There were huge arcs spanning the interior forming the ceiling, elegant brick masonry, light posts and an abundance of iron craft around the balconies and walkways.
I decided to check out one of the museums... the Pinaocteca do Estado.
The museum's collection consisted mostly of contemporary art.
This giant plate of people made me happy for some reason. The plate was probably about 8 feet in diameter.
I was a bit entranced by this collection of chromatic art.

Of course, the photos do not represent the real visual experience of seeing the art in person.

Trust me, it was very alive.
Also, I did find a few oil paintings that I really enjoyed.

This collection of oil paintings really seemed to capture rural life in Brazil's past.
I made another stop at the Mercado Municipal (Municipal Market).

It was a bustling market with everything a foodie could possibly want.

Wine

Olive oil

Seafood

Spices

Fruits

Cheese

Cured items

Preserves

Fresh meats
And a nice dining area to enjoy all the delicacies.
I continued walking around the city admiring some of the buildings.

There seemed to be an abundance of sculptures

I only spent two days in Sao Paulo. After spending so much time on secluded beaches, I was not really feeling the vibe of the city. Plus, there was somewhere else that I really wanted to visit... Rio!

From Sao Paulo I headed east. The countryside turned into gentle rolling green hills.
Still, almost the entire ride was along a two lane highway.
I rarely pulled over to take photos out of fear that one of the big trucks might roll right over me.
After about six hours of riding I reached... Rio de Janeiro!
Rio de Janeiro commonly referred to simply as Rio is the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area in South America.
Rio boasts approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th largest in the Americas, and 26th in the world.
Rio is nicknamed the Cidade Maravilhosa or "Marvelous City". Granted on 1 July 2012 in the category Cultural Landscape, Rio de Janeiro is a UNESCO World Heritage Site named "Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea".